Setting ground rules and getting group members to agree to them is an important part of managing any Facebook group. Clear rules help set expectations for acceptable behavior and content, ensure members treat each other with respect, and make moderation easier for admins. However, getting consensus and buy-in from members on what the rules should be can be tricky. Here are some tips to help you establish group rules that members will agree to follow.
Decide on your must-have rules
Before opening up a rules discussion with members, decide what rules are non-negotiable for you as the admin. These may include prohibiting hate speech, banning spam, requiring civil discourse, etc. Have a clear justification for why each rule is needed so you can explain if questioned. Get other admins or moderators on the same page.
Involve members in the process
When creating the initial rules or revising existing ones, ask members for their input. You can create a post explaining it’s time to establish/update guidelines and asking for rule suggestions. Make it clear which ones you as admin have already decided on. Doing this makes members feel heard and gets buy-in.
You can also survey members by asking them to vote on proposed rules or rank them in order of importance. Tools like SurveyMonkey or PollDaddy can be helpful for this.
Be open to compromise
Don’t assume your rules have to be followed 100% as proposed. Be open to tweaking based on member feedback. If many disagree with a certain rule, discuss why and see if a compromise can be reached. Get their help wording it in a way that works for everyone.
Explain the reasons for the rules
Don’t just post a list of rules. Explain the rationale behind each one. For example, you ban sale posts to keep the focus on discussion. This helps members understand the rules aren’t arbitrary and are meant to benefit the community.
Make members agree to the rules
Once finalized, have members explicitly agree to the rules before joining. On Facebook, you can require new members to answer membership questions affirming they read and will follow the rules.
You can also pin a rules post at the top of the group so it’s always visible. On it, ask members to comment acknowledging the rules to stay in the group. Periodically bump the post to prompt agreement from existing members.
Enforce the rules consistently
Once rules are set, enforce them consistently. Remove posts/comments and take disciplinary action like banning as outlined in rules. This shows you are serious about maintaining standards. Keep records of infractions in case a member disputes moderation.
Allow a grace period
When first implementing new rules or significantly revising existing ones, allow a grace period of a week or so. Give members time to adjust their behavior and understand the guidelines fully before cracking down on infractions.
Be open to future revision
Let members know the rules may be revised in the future to adapt to changing needs. Solicit feedback periodically on how the rules are working and whether any should be added, revised or removed.
Conclusion
Creating Facebook group rules members will agree to requires striking a balance between admin needs and member input. Keeping members involved in the process, explaining the rationale behind rules, enforcing them consistently, and being open to compromise and future revisions will result in guidelines most are willing to follow. Doing so helps maintain harmony and make moderation much easier.
Examples of potential Facebook group rules
Here are some examples of potential rules to include for a productive, positive Facebook group environment:
Be respectful
No hate speech, personal attacks, or harassment. Debate and disagree politely.
No spam/self-promotion
Don’t post unsolicited links or ads. Self-promotion and recruiting is allowed in designated areas only.
Keep on topic
Ensure posts and comments align with group topic/niche. Going too far off topic spreads group too thin.
Use appropriate language
No abusive language. Cursing is allowed but not directed at members.
No illegal activity
Discussions of illegal actions are prohibited, including piracy, hacking, etc.
Add value
Posts and comments should contribute value to the group. No low-effort “me too” or +1 comments.
No buying/selling
Posts offering to buy/sell goods or services will be deleted, unless expressly allowed in Designated areas.
Obey Facebook ToS
All group activity must adhere to the Facebook Terms of Service.
Admins have final say
Admins may remove any post or comment and ban members at their discretion to maintain group standards.
Tips for getting member buy-in on rules
Here are some tips to get members to agree to follow the rules:
– Explain the rules are to benefit the community, not control members
– Be open to feedback and tweak rules based on member input
– Allow members to help word rules if some are objectionable
– Note rules may be revised in the future based on need
– Make members explicitly agree upon joining and periodically
– Enforce rules consistently once established
– Point to rules when deleting posts or disciplining
– Share data showing rules have improved engagement
– Note majority of members support established rules
– For controversial rules, take a group vote and abide by results
Approaches for introducing rules
Some approaches for introducing rules include:
– Post rules prominently when creating new group
– Do an updated rules post at the start of each new year
– Create an announcement post explaining rules are being added/updated and why
– Post a poll or survey asking members to vote on proposed rules
– Upon infractions, reference rule broken and need for member cooperation
– Send rules via email/message to all group members for feedback
– Schedule a live chat session to discuss why rules are needed
– Create a video explaining the rules and their benefit to the community
– Appoint member ambassadors to orient new members on rules
Ways to get agreement from members
Some ways to get member agreement on rules include:
– Have members answer yes/no questions affirming they read rules when joining
– Require members to post a comment under rules post acknowledging them
– Send periodic reminders for existing members to agree to rules again
– Ask members to digitally sign User Agreement checkboxes on rules
– Require confirmation click on rules pop-up/prompt upon entering group
– Request members send a private message to admin stating they agree
– Pin rules post and ask members to “react” confirming they read them
– Disable posting privileges until rules agreement is received
– Send quarterly requests asking members to re-confirm rules agreement
– Request confirmation when member count milestones are reached
– Ask members to proactively report posts violating rules they agreed to
Table summarizing approaches for getting member agreement on rules
| Approach | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Membership questions | – Gets agreement from all new members – Can deny entry without agreement |
– Doesn’t cover existing members |
| Comment on rules post | – Public demonstration of agreement – Can re-prompt periodically |
– Hard to track who has agreed |
| Digital signatures | – Undeniable record of agreement – Can re-sign periodically |
– Extra work to set up |
| Agreement pop-ups | – Forces all users to see rules – Continual reminders |
– Can feel interruptive |
| Private messages | – Direct confirmation from each member | – Labor intensive to collect/track |
| React to pinned rules | – Easy way to acknowledge – Notification shows who has read |
– Agreement not as explicit |
Tips for addressing rule violations
Here are some tips for addressing members who violate established rules:
– Remind them politely which rule was violated
– Point them to where rules are posted for review
– Explain reasoning behind rule if they seem confused
– Give warning before banning if first minor offense
– Disable posting ability temporarily as “probation”
– If repeat offender, refer to prior infractions before banning
– For severe infraction, ban immediately per rules policy
– Remove offensive posts/comments swiftly
– Queue up restrictions (e.g. 24 hr ban, 7 day ban, permanent)
– Note violations in spreadsheet to spot repeat offenders
– Use comment moderation so you can screen posts
– Turn on post approvals if members keep violating
– Message members privately to resolve issues if public reprimand embarrassing
– Publicly call out violations if private messages being ignored
– Offer one-on-one video call to clarify expectations
Encouraging user reports for rule violations
Here are some ways to encourage members to report content violating rules:
– Note in rules that reporting is expected and appreciated
– Make reporting process quick and easy via Report button, email, etc.
– Publicly thank members who submit useful violation reports
– Send badge/reward stickers to frequent reporters
– Hold contests rewarding those who identify the most violations
– Name members of the week/month based on violation reports
– Create leaderboard showing top rule enforcers based on reports
– Send private praise messages to members who report accurately
– Celebrate milestones like 100th or 1000th report from a member
– Share data with group showing reporting is improving atmosphere
– Poll group on whether reporting has made moderation better
– Spotlight best reports in weekly digests sent to all members
– Allow top reporters early access to new group premium features
– Send small gift cards to consistently engaged reporters
Automating rules enforcement
Here are some ways to automate enforcement of Facebook group rules:
– Use auto-moderation bots – They scan all posts/comments and remove ones matching violation criteria. BotILY, Dyno, and Bouzu are examples.
– Create keyword filters – Block posts containing banned words like profanity or sales terms.
– Enable WordPress comment blacklist plugin – Prevents comments containing banned phrases.
– Install auto-deletion extensions – Browser extensions that let you delete posts with a click if against rules.
– Use IFTTT recipes – Automatically remove posts when they receive a set number of reports.
– Hire virtual assistants – They can be assigned to regularly scan for and delete rule-breaking content.
– Use Facebook’s Sensitive Content Control – Lets you flag words you want automatically hidden.
– Set up Facebook’s Profanity Filter – Identifies swearing and replaces it with asterisks.
– Enable post approvals – Requires you to manually approve all posts before public can see them.
– Restrict commenting on Page – Limits ability to comment on Page itself if people won’t follow rules.
– Create filtered Words List – Any posts with these terms are automatically removed.
– Turn on Facebook’s text-based Classifier – Uses AI to detect offensive comments for deletion.
New member orientation on rules
Here are some ideas for orienting new members on group rules:
– Pinned welcome post with rules outlined
– Custom landing page summarizing key rules
– “Rules highlights” email sent after joining
– Pop-up alert when first posting directing to rules
– Auto reply to welcome message with rules attached
– Mandatory rules quiz to complete before access granted
– Existing member assigned as “rules buddy” to orient
– Video tutorial explaining rules before allowing posts
– Live walkthrough session for rules Q&A
– Reply to first post referencing rule they should review
– If post removed, send rules link via PM for review
– Rules included in member profiles/bios
– Rules listed on sidebar/about section of group
– Periodic “REFRESHER: Rules check” posts
– Stream rules as images/slides on main feed
– Rules overview handout downloadable from Files
– Ambassadors personally message newbies re: rules
-RULES chat channel for 24/7 guidelines assistance
Gamifying rules compliance
Here are some ideas for gamifying rules compliance:
– Members get points for every post/comment following rules
– Top point earners displayed on leaderboard
– Give badges for milestones like 100 compliant posts in a row
– Daily/weekly prizes for member with most compliance points
– Create meme/gif “certificates” for consistent compliance
– Compliance streak counts – recognize users with longest
– Polls let members vote on top compliers to highlight
– Create titles users can earn by hitting compliance benchmarks
– Recognize users hitting compliance milestones in announcements
– Award emojis members can display if compliance level high
– Break members into teams competing for highest compliance
– Monthly raffles where each compliance point is a raffle entry
– Display progress bars tracking individual compliance
– Allow top compliers early access to new group premium features
– Create humorously styled “tickets” sent when rules broken
– Member scores posted on social media/leaderboard for motivation
Reviewing data to modify rules
Analyzing data can reveal opportunities to revise rules. Here are some insights to look for:
– Spikes in warnings/bans signaling confusing rule
– Drops in engagement after rule changes
– Increase in member complaints about specific rules
– High rates of rejected posts/comments due to rules
– Uptick in members leaving group following new rules
– Reporting spikes on types of content not prohibited
– Surveys showing member dissatisfaction with rules
– Lack of consensus on importance of rules in polls
– Analysis of striked/deleted posts pointing to unnecessary rules
– Low reporting rates indicating ambiguity on violations
– Uptick in heated arguments about certain rules
– Reporting focused on petty/harmless perceived infractions
– Large gaps in number of reports submitted per member
– High false positive rate on violation reports
– Sudden increase in time spent addressing violations
Analyzing this type of data can pinpoint where rules are unclear, overly strict, difficult to enforce consistently, or producing other negative impacts. Rules can then be clarified, relaxed, or removed accordingly.
Conclusion
Establishing effective rules that members will agree to is crucial for maintaining positive Facebook group environments. Strike a balance between admin needs and member input when creating guidelines. Explain reasons for rules clearly, gather feedback, and enforce consistently once in place. Remain open to revising rules that prove problematic or overly strict. With a collaborative process and fair enforcement, your members are more likely to abide by community standards.